Re-leafing Poole

With Climate change induced extreme weather, our towns and cities are not designed for extremes of heat and cold. Trees absorb and fix CO2, they provide shade on a hot day, renewable fuel, and an easy abundance of fruit and nuts with no food-miles involved. We should be considering avenues for shade, free food for living, and softening the urban landscape. As mature trees are taken out, they are often not currently replaced. Perhaps this is more important for private gardens than public spaces – ideas on how we can influence that welcome !

Public space in Poole - green desert

We are currently in the process of surveying Poole for locations/sites where extra trees could be planted. This includes where existing groups of trees could be increased, streets that could be greened, pieces of public open space that could be planted etc. The map at the following link is being populated with possibilities. Please add to the map if you have ideas, or if you spot places in need of trees. The idea is that Transition Poole group aim to work with the Local Authority and local residents/communities in getting more trees planted in appropriate places across Poole.

This will help with alleviating heat, by providing shade, when temperatures rise due to global warming. Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to this due to the ‘urban heat island’ effect – the ability of concrete to radiate solar energy rather than absorbing and using/dissipating it, as plants do. By planting fruit and nut trees we will increase our local food possibilities. Trees are also important habitat for wildlife and they generally make living in an urban area more pleasant. They can even increase property prices apparently!

We have collaborated on a map to try and highlight possible sites. Contact Andy H if you want to join this activity (8 people set to collaborate so far).

It would be good if we could enthuse the Transportation and Leisure departments, perhaps together with NHS Bournemouth & Poole to facilitate ‘free food’ along the lines that Manchester are doing.

Notes from our meeting in June:
Pam recalled undertaking a survey with Mark about 10 years ago of the trees in Poole. She will try and dig it out.
Should be possible to identify some larger trees from aerial shots – Google Earth etc
Boscombe planted 500 Apple trees – Lisa Northover – Harriet to find out how this went, what we could learn.

Trees on open spaces
Stopping cutting the grass would allow return to forests to naturally happen, but this does take time.
Brambles, and other pioneer plants protect young trees which would naturally seed.

Japanese Heartnut (Juglan ailantolia var. Cordiforis)
Zone 4 to 8 SEE ZONE MAP.
Very fast growing, hardy, tropical in appearance. The nuts hang in clusters, similar to grapes, with up to 20 nuts in a cluster. Usually grows wider than taller, but some varieties produce good timber type trees. Taste is mild, somewhat like the nut pines, but do not have the nutritional value the nut pines have. Selected from superior varieties. The heartnut is low in cholestrol and high in protein and filled with antitoxants.
Varieties: Etter, Brock, Wright, Mitchel, Rhodes. 3 years $9.00 each

Selling the area as a nature reserve. Involving the local kids in planting and nurturing the trees. Possibly containment. There is a real problem about how one gets trees to an adequate size to survive the onslaught of kids – who should be able to play in trees.

The group undertook to “map” locations that could be candidates. The intention is just to log – where and how big, what is there already, and photograph it. If possible talk to locals and consider who owns it, but this could be a subsequent step.

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